Yes, you can major in jazz, but...

And they are so proud of it. They'll tell you, sooner or later, that New England Conservatory was the first conservatory in the U.S. to offer a jazz department. (Translation: take that, Julliard!) But what do jazzers get for coming here? The school is run by classical people who have no idea what to do with jazz. Programs in jazz are offered more as a convenience; the infrastructure does nothing to cater to a jazz musician's talents and skills.

Take the history exam for example. The Masters History exam asks the student to prepare three topics on which s/he will write about during the exam. The three topics must be stylistically distinct. In classical terms, that means writing about Monteverdi, Verdi or Stravinsky. That's about 300 years in between. If you're going to write about jazz, the same might apply: you better find some music people were jammin' to in 1750, 1850 and 1950, otherwise, your topics will be rejected. Welcome to NEC wannabe jazz school.